A new year has begun and Coming-of- Age Day has also passed in a twinkling. Number of new adults this year is 1.2 million as of January 1 which is record-low. Incidentally, number of births seems to be below 0.8 million, and this figure is about one third level of ‘the baby boom generation’ (Born in 1947~1950). Number of new adults continues to decline, and as a result, the population is aging rapidly. And legal age of adults is 20 years old now, and will lower to 18 years old on April 1 this year going along with the world trend. Right now, adult age is mixed ‘either 18 or 20’ and for instance, age of voting rights was revised to 18 years old on June 22, 2016. However, the age limit of alcohol drinking, smoking, public racing such as bicycle racing, horse racing is still over 20 years old. A division by age is setting at many fields which are the starting age of compulsory education, social security such as pension and nursing insurance, and driver’s license.

‘Standard family unit’ presupposed by social security was family of two adults and two children in the 1960s (period of rapid growth). At that time, a house wife accounted almost 70 %, but as of 2019, fulltime homemaker households reduced to about 30 %, and dual income households became about 70 %. A situation had been revised. And graduation and entrance into a school is March and April in Japan, but September is mainstream in the world. This becomes blocking factors for studying abroad from Japan and accepting from overseas students. And recently division either male or female becomes controversy. I hear that an in-flight announcement has changed from ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ to ‘All Passengers’.

On the other hand, in the United States political situation has been confused now, and a sense of danger for the status of democracy is getting higher. However, the United States has self-sufficient economy. The United States is blessed with rich lands and resources, and if the whole land is cultivated, it can support up to 10 times of present population (about 3.3 hundred million). Therefore, it can survive even if it is isolated. However, Japan has not any resource except capable persons, and once the circumstance is blocked, Japan dries up quickly. Different from the United States, Japan has to find out a plan producing from ‘nothing’ to ‘being’(added value) under globalization. In order to do that, the nurturing of talented people like a mighty warrior accepted worldwide is essential.

In this regard, Japan has a lot of things to study from Singapore. Size of land is 1.15 times of Tokyo, and total population is about 5.6 million (13.6 million in Tokyo). A breakdown of population is citizens of Singapore(3.44million), permanent foreign residents (0.53 million) and med-to-long term stay foreigners (1.67 million). Singapore is close to one-party rule and it is difficult to mention Singapore as democratic country, but key point is that Singapore produces good leaders. Because of this, Singapore economy has developed rapidly, and GDP per capital in Singapore ranks 7 th in the world over Japan (24 th). And Singapore receives companies escaped from Hong Kong as an international finance city. GDP per capital looks like stock prices of stock market to put it in private companies. If that is the case, stock prices of Japan Inc. are hovering around.

In addition, I visited Northern Europe (Sweden and Finland) and Germany 10 years ago, and inspected present situation of high benefits for high burden and the social progress of women. And I felt keenly how present Japan is far behind from those countries, and the difference of a relationship of trust between government and people.

Some people say that either Singapore or Northern Europe countries make it possible just because size of these countries is small. However, these excuses can’t fit with the present conditions of Japan. At this rate, politics and economy in Japan becomes third-rate, and Japan itself is deteriorating rapidly. We have to study successful cases from them even if they are small countries. It is absolutely necessary for us to make sure of worldwide trend and global standard, and update and self reformation of laws and various systems in order to correspond with the change of the state of Japan.